With the holiday season almost upon us and winter break just weeks away, you might want to start considering how you'll spend your free time. And while working and internships are ideal, winter break also provides you with the opportunity to read for pleasure. There are a range of benefits gained from non-required reading that are not confined to just reading ability: Leisure reading has shown to help students be more articulate, develop a higher order reasoning and think more critically. Not sure what to read? Check out the titles from some of your favorite celebrities below for some book-spiration:

Lena Dunham – Bad Behavior

Emma Thompson – Bring Up the Bodies

Arnold Schwarzenegger – Incognito

Elizabeth Gilbert – Rome

Ira Glass – North Country: The Making of Minnesota

John Grisham – All the King’s Men

Anne Lamott – I Knew You’d Be Lovely

Colin Powell – The Summer of 1787

Are there any books that you're currently reading that you’d like to add? Please share them in our comments section. And as always, don’t forget to create a free profile Scholarships.com to get matched with awards that reflect your unique interests and attributes.

And don't forget, you should pay for your college education with as much free money as possible! Find as many scholarships and grants as you can before turning to student loans. Visit the Scholarships.com free college scholarship search today where you'll get matched with countless scholarships and grants for which you qualify, then apply and win! It’s that easy!

Enter the Young Patriots Essay Contest through Jan. 5th

The Young Patriots Essay Contest is designed to challenge high school students to creatively solve problems in the realm of public policy through the art of writing. Controversial topics are assigned each year and only three winners will be chosen. The topic of this year’s essay contest is: “According to the four required readings. What policy changes should the government pursue in order to best foster economic prosperity?”

This year, they’re introducing an interactive reading and education component to ensure you, as students, gain valuable insight on the NCPA’s perspective and message. Please read the four following pieces as you consider the above topic. Your submission will be graded in part according to how carefully and thoughtfully you engage with these four challenging articles. They are:

"Public Choice," by John C. Goodman

"Classical Liberalism," by John C. Goodman

"I Pencil,” by Leonard Read

"The Greatest Story Nobody Knows About," by Steven Landsburg

As always, to learn more about this and other scholarship opportunities, conduct a free Scholarships.com scholarship search today! By creating a Scholarships.com profile, you'll be matched with funding opportunities that are unique to you.

Going to college doesn't have to break the bank or saddle you with tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt. Check out the Scholarships.com free college scholarship search where you’ll discover you qualify for hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships in just a few minutes, then apply and win! It’s that easy!

Did your prospective college make the list and does this information alter your interest in the school? Share your thoughts in the comments section. And don’t forget that even affordable college tuition can still be expensive! Try and fund your education with as much free money as possible – a great place to start is by creating a free profile on Scholarships.com, where you’ll get matched with financial aid that is unique to you!

Going to college doesn't have to break the bank or saddle you with tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt. Check out the Scholarships.com free college scholarship search where you’ll discover you qualify for hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships in just a few minutes, then apply and win! It’s that easy!

This SOTW is Accepting Entries Through December 15th

The AXA Achievement Scholarship awards $670,000 annually. Fifty-two students – one from each state, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico – receive scholarships of $10,000. Of those 52 students, 10 students are chosen as national winners and receive an additional $15,000 scholarship award and an internship opportunity with AXA Equitable.

Scholarships are awarded to students who demonstrate ambition and drive, determination to set and reach goals and the ability to succeed in college. If that sounds like you, visit AXA’s website to apply before the December 15th deadline. As always, to learn more about this and other scholarship opportunities, conduct a free Scholarships.com scholarship search today!

And remember, there’s no need to rely on expensive student loan options to pay for your college education. For more information on finding free scholarship money for college, conduct a Scholarships.com free college scholarship search today, then apply and win! It’s that easy!

With this year’s midterm elections behind us, have you ever wonder: “Man, I could do a better job than [insert disappointing political official’s name here]”? Only to realize almost immediately that crushing sense of defeat given the fact that you’re too young and inexperienced to run… or are you?

Saira Blair, an 18-year-old West Virginia University freshman, won a seat on the West Virginia House of Delegates after defeating her Democratic opponent 63 percent to 30 percent. Doing the majority of her campaigning out of her dorm room, Saira will be the youngest state lawmaker in the nation. She campaigned on a pledge to work to reduce certain taxes on businesses and holds anti-abortion and pro-gun positions. "When I made the decision to run for public office, I did so because I firmly believe that my generation's voice, fresh perspective and innovative ideas can help solve some of our state's most challenging issues," she said. Studying economics and Spanish, Blair will defer her next semester so that she can attend the legislature’s 60-day session in the spring and will resume her coursework in the fall. (For more on this story, click here.)

What do you think of an 18 year old becoming the youngest state lawmaker in the country? Share your thoughts in the comments section. And as always, don’t forget to create a free profile Scholarships.com to get matched with awards that reflect your interests and attributes.

And don't forget, you should pay for your college education with as much free money as possible! Find as many scholarships and grants as you can before turning to student loans. Visit the Scholarships.com free college scholarship search today where you'll get matched with countless scholarships and grants for which you qualify, then apply and win! It’s that easy!

According to The New York Times, the effort will involve hiring 130 full-time college counselors and enlisting 4,000 college students as part-time advisers. Using video chat, email, telephone and text, they will mimic the support network — composed of guidance counselors, teachers, parents and friends — that more affluent high school students take for granted. "Many of America's brightest students don’t apply to college simply because they lack access to the right information and guidance, particularly students from low- and middle-income families who want to go to competitive colleges but don’t think they can afford it. That limits their opportunities and contradicts what we stand for as a society – and it holds us back as a nation because it prevents so many smart young people from contributing to the best of their abilities,” said Michael R. Bloomberg. This new initiative aims to directly help as many as 65,000 students a year! (For more on this story, click here.)

Going to college doesn't have to break the bank or saddle you with tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt. Check out the Scholarships.com free college scholarship search where you’ll discover you qualify for hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships in just a few minutes, then apply and win! It’s that easy!

This SOTW is Accepting Entries Through November 30th

Whether you're looking to study abroad, go to college, take an online course or attend a conference – Degreed will fund the learning opportunities you're passionate about. Why? They believe a person's education is a collection of all their learning and life experiences – not just a formal degree. They're here to level the playing field and give every individual the opportunity to continually learn, advance, and measure their true education.

Interested? All you need to do is complete the two criteria below:

Write a 3 Minute Essay. In 100 words, tell us how you'll use $1,000 to pursue learning that intrigues you!

Create a Degreed profile. Start documenting everything you are learning to demonstrate your passion, gain credit for your efforts, and ultimately measure your education.
Degreed reviews all scholarship applicants' profiles; the final winner is selected by our scholarship committee and notified by email.

All US and international college students, graduate students, college graduates, and informal learners are eligible, age 18 or older are encouraged to apply. For more information on this scholarship and other scholarship opportunities, please conduct a free scholarship search!

And remember, there’s no need to rely on expensive student loan options to pay for your college education. For more information on finding free scholarship money for college, conduct a Scholarships.com free college scholarship search today, then apply and win! It’s that easy!

According to The Graduate School, this question has been added to its application to gain a clearer understanding of the school's community and to better serve all in the school. “It's important for us, but also for others to move in this direction, as well," said school dean Dwight McBride in a statement. "If we don't ask the question, we are not building a data archive and, therefore, have no way of knowing what the needs of our populations and subpopulations in our communities are – beyond guessing and anecdote." It's important to note that answering the question will be optional and will specifically ask whether applicants self-identify as a member of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer/questioning (LGBTQ) community. (Northwestern University does not pose the question on its undergraduate application.) For now, school spokeswoman Josie Whetstone said LGBTQ groups on campus have greeted the news without criticism, most likely because it’s an optional inquiry. (For more of this story, click here.)

What are your thoughts on more universities asking students about their sexual identity? Do you think it's necessary or beneficial to the LGBTQ community? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

And don't forget, you should pay for your college education with as much free money as possible! Find as many scholarships and grants as you can before turning to student loans. Visit the Scholarships.com free college scholarship search today where you'll get matched with countless scholarships and grants for which you qualify, then apply and win! It’s that easy!

To enter, simply copy your personalized TAF referral link and blog it, tweet it, email it, IM it or Facebook it. For every one of your friends who creates a profile on our site by clicking your link, you will be entered to win a $1,000 award; there’s no limit as to how many people you can send your link to and if you win, one of your friends who created a Scholarships.com profile using your link will be chosen at random to win $500.

And remember, there’s no need to rely on expensive student loan options to pay for your college education. For more information on finding free scholarship money for college, conduct a Scholarships.com free college scholarship search today, then apply and win! It’s that easy!

Former Presidents Clinton and Bush Unveil New Leadership Program

Former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush unveiled the Presidential Leadership Scholarship Program aimed at helping academics and business leaders learn more about presidential leadership. Clinton said the initiative will encourage Americans to “have vigorous debate, serious disagreement, knock-down, drag-out fights, and somehow come to ultimately a resolution that enables the country to keep moving.” Are you interested?

Beginning in February 2015, the six-month Presidential Leadership Scholars training program will be stewarded by Clinton and Bush, as well as former President George H.W. Bush and the library of Lyndon B. Johnson. It will employ lectures, discussions and case studies from these four presidents’ terms to teach core leadership skills. Joshua Bolten, Bush’s former chief of staff, called the effort “the first collaboration ever among presidential centers in an ongoing initiative.” The program’s purpose is to help participants foster the skills they’ll need to address both the challenges and opportunities presented in the 21st century. Participants will use the tools developed throughout their course of study and apply them to an issue or challenge that is of particular relevance to his/her professional and civic pursuits. For more information on the program and how to apply, click here.

The Presidential Leadership Scholars program will provide participants the opportunity of connecting them with the best minds in leadership studies and the insights of the former presidents and people who served with them. And while it is aimed towards those who have approximately 10 years of professional experience, it’s never too early to start planning for your future: A great place to start is by creating a free profile on Scholarships.com – you’ll be matched with financial aid opportunities that are unique to you!

Going to college doesn't have to break the bank or saddle you with tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt. Check out the Scholarships.com free college scholarship search where you’ll discover you qualify for hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships in just a few minutes, then apply and win! It’s that easy!